Automatic signal device for railways.



a. w. JOHNSON. AUTOMATIO SIGNAL DEVICE FOR BAILWAYS. APPLIOATION HumNOV. 21,1908.

Patented June 1, 1909.

7g anmmlroz siding at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny'and State ofPennsylvania, have in:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. JOHNSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOTHOMAS J.

McGALL, O'F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL DEVICE FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Application filed November 21, 1908. Serial No. 463,862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. JOHNSON, a citlzen of the Umted States ofAmerica, re-

vefiedj certain new and useful Improveme teem-Automatic Signal Devicesfor Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an automatic signal device for railways, andthe object of my invention is the provision of'positive and reliablemeans in connection with a track and a locomotive for automaticallysounding a signal that will notify the engineer or operator of thelocomotive to. proceed with caution or to entirely stop the locomotive,as prearrangement of the signals may denote.

My invention aims to eliminate the use of torpedoes and similar devicesthat are placed upon the rails of a track and by their detonation causedby a locomotive passing over the same, notifying the engineer to stop orproceed with caution. Numerous accidents occur in the placing oftorpedoes, besides other accidents occurred by wrecks due to failure onthe part or the engineer to hear the detonation of the torpedo.Torpedoes containing explosives are also dangerous for atlorage purposesand require careful han- It is in view of the above facts that I havedevised my automatic signal, which can be placed in an operativeposition by a tower- Inan or switchman and positively notify an engineerby an audible signal that can be readily heard above the noise of amoving train.

The above and other objects are accomplished .by a device that will behereinafter described and then claimed.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of the locomotive and trackequipped with the automatic signal, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of thatportion of the signal carried by the locomotive, Fig. 3 is a plan of thesignal actuating device, as arranged relative to a track, Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the same,

and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a valve body forming part ofthe audible signal.

To put my invention into practice, I provide a tie or sleeper 1adjacent-to a rail with bearings 2 having oil cups 3.- In the bearings 2is journaled a shaft 4 having a hand Wheel 5, whereby said shaft can beeasily rotated. Upon the shaft and between the bearings 2 is mounted acam 6. Pivotally connected to ties or sleepers at v the sides of the tie1 are auxiliary rails 7 having the confronting ends thereof resting uponthe cams 6. 'By turning the shaft 4-. the auxiliary tracks 7 can beraised to an inclination with the confronting ends thereof on a level orslightly above the tread of the rails upon which a locomotive travels.

The locomotive equipment comprises an audible signal, such as a whistle,supplied with steam or air from the locomotive, the supplying of steamor air to the whistle being controlled by mechanism carried by the 10-comotive and actuated by the inclination of the auxiliary rails 7.

The running board 8 of the locomotive is provided with a bearing 9 for apivoted arm 10, said arm being further supported by a stirrup 11 carriedby the running board 8. The upper end of the arm 10 is provided with alever 12 and revolubly supported by the lower end of said lever is awheel 13 ada ted to engage and ride over the auxiliary rai s 7. Theupper end of the lever 12 is adapted to impinge a latch 14, carried bythe running board 8, and release a lever 15 normally suported therebyand pivotally connected to a caring 16, carried by the running board.The pivoted lever 15 is limited in its downward movement by a stirrup 17carried by the running board 8, and the free end of said lever isprovided with a weight 18. This weighted free end of the lever 15 isadapted to strike an extension 19 of the bell crank lever 20 pivotallymounted in a hanger 21, carried by the running board. The bell cranklever 20 is pivotally connected to a slide valve 22 arranged in awhistle body 23, secured to.v the-locomotive, as at 24. The

Whistle body connects with the steam chest Connected to the weighted end18 of the lever 15 is acable 26, said cable extending upwardly into thecab 27 of the locomotive, Where said cable is fixed to a drum 28 so thatthe engineer or operator of the locomotive can rotate said drum to raisethe weighted end of the lever 15. Under normal conditions the cable 26is slack, whereby the whistle actuating mechanism can be operated in thefollowing manner :-\Vhen the towerman or switchman sets the auxiliaryrails 7 at an inclination, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, saidrails are in the path of the wheels 13, but as the locomotive passes bythe auxiliary rails 7, the inclination of said rails raises the lever 12and causes said lever to releasethe latch 14. The weighted end 18 of thelever .15 then drops and strikes the bell crank lever 20, and this leverforces the slide valve 22 inwardly and allows the steam or air to passinto the whistle head 25 and sound the same. The whistle continues toblow until the engineer or operator of the locomotive has heard thesame, and then the engineer or operator winds the cable 26 upon the drum28, elevates the lever 15 and restores the parts of the mechanism totheir normal position. When the lever 15 is elevated the latch 14assumes its normal position by gravity" and supports the lever 15, whilethe lever 10 is supported by the stirrup 11. in order that the slidevalve 22 will be returned to its normal position, I can place a spring29 between the bell crank lever 20 and the whistle body 23, this springforcing the slide valve to its normal position when the lever 20 isreleased. If it is desired to dispense with this spring, the weightedend 18 of the lever 15 can be connected to the bell crank lever 20.After the engineer of the locomotivc has been duly notified by thesounding of a whistle, the towerman or switchman can restore theauxiliary rails to their normal position by turning the hand wheel 5.

While in. the drawings forming a part of this application there isillustrated the preferredembodiments of my invention, it is-to beunderstood that the same can be varied or changed as to shape,proportion and manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Having now described. my invention what I claim as new, is

1. In an automatic signal, the combination with a track and a locomotiveada )ted to travel thereon, of a whistle carried by said locomctivc, aslide valve for controlling the eaavee operation of said whistle, a bellcrank lever for moving said slide valve, a pivoted weighted lever.for'actuating said bell crank lever, a latch for normally supportingsaid Weighted lever in an elevated position, a lever supported by saidlocomotive for releasin said latch, 21. wheel revolubly supporte by thelower end of said lever, adjust- .able auxiliary tracks arrangedadjacent to the locomotivetrack and adapted to be impinged by saidwheelfor raising said lever and releasing said latch to allow saidweighted lever to move said slide valve through the medium of said bellcrank lever, manual means in connection with said auxiliary rails forsetting said rails at an inclination, and means in connection with saidlocomotive to restore said weighted lever to its normal position. A

2. In an automatic signal, the combination with atrack and a locomotiveada ted to travel thereon, of a whistle carried )y said locomotive, aslide valve for controllin the operation of said whistle, a bell crankever for moving said slide valve, a lVOll-( weighted lever for actuatingsaid he crank lever, a latch for normally su porting said weighted leverin an elevated position, a lever supported by said locomotiv forreleasing said latch, a wheel revoluily supported by the lower end ofsaid lever,- adjustable auxiliary tracks arranged adjacent to thelocomotive track and adapted to be impinged by said wheel for raisingsaid lever and releasing said latch to allow said weighted lever to movesaid slide valve through the medium of said bell crank lever, and manualmeans in connection with said auxiliary rails for setting said rails atan inclination.

In an automatic signal for locomotives, the combination with a whistleand a valve for controlling the operation of said whistle, of a weightedlever carried by said locomotive for moving said valve, a latch fornormally supporting said weighted lover, a pivoted lever carried by saidlor'zomotivc for releasing said latch and allowing said weighted leverto move said valve, a rovolublo wheel carried by said pivoted lever,auxiliary adjustable rails arranged in the pathol' said wheel andadapted to be impinged by said wheel for elevating said pivoted leverand rcleasing said latch, means fonadjusting said auxiliary rails, andmeans in connection with said locomotive for restoring said weightedlover to its normal position in engagement with said latch.

4. In arnautomatic signal for locomotives, the combination with awhistle, and a valve for controlling the operation of said whistle,

of a weighted lever carried by said locomotive for moving said valve, alatch for normally supporting said weighted lover, a pivoted levercarried by said locomotive for releasing said latch and allowing saidweighted 1 lever to move said vah e, a revoluble wheel I In testimonywhereef I my signature carried by said pivoted lever, auxiliary ad- 1nthe presence of two witnesses.

justable rails arranged in the path of said wheel and adapted to beimpinged by said JOHN JOHNSON 5 Wheel for elevating said pivoted leverand re- Witnesses:

leasing said latch, and means for adjusting MAX H. Snomvm,

said auxiliary rails. C. V. BROOKS.

